The Trials
by One-handed
Summary: AU from the Battle of Endor. 'What was just as worrying - if not more so - than every comm in the Galaxy being hacked was the emergence of Darth Vader's head and shoulders in hologram. But it was what he said next that really got everyone scratching their heads.'
1. The Transmission

It was almost exactly thirty hours after the destruction of the Second Death Star that all communications devices were hacked. Even ones which had been transmitting calls were not exempt.

What was equally - if not more worrying than every communication device in the Galaxy being hacked - was what happened next.

The head and shoulders of Darth Vader appeared, but it was what he said that _really_ had everybody scratching their heads.

"I have important commands and announcements to make," he began, and the brains of all the analysts in the Rebellion went into overdrive. Darth Vader never made announcements. The Emperor made announcements; Moffs made announcements. Darth Vader stood around looking menacing when the announcements were made, or directed the Imperial Armed Forces. At such an imperial crisis as this, he should be out re-forming what was left of the fleet, making hyperspace jumps like a madman to consolidate enough of a fleet to attack the rebels again, not making announcements to the whole of the galaxy, and he should certainly not be giving commands to his men when the entire galaxy could hear him.

Unless . . . unless he had made it off the Death Star, and the Emperor, by some miracle, hadn't. Would that mean . . . ?

"The first of them is that the Emperor has died."

If anyone else had said that, cheers would have erupted all over the galaxy. As it was, everybody waited in fearful silence.

"I am, in the absence of a _legally_ designated successor, the Emperor of this Galaxy."

There was a galaxy-wide gasp of fear.

"And as Emperor, I formally rescind Order 66, made to exterminate the Jedi. In recognition of their tireless commitment to peace, justice, and liberty for the citizens of this galaxy, I give them formal amnesty and the right to pass as citizens. I will see to it _personally_ that this is carried out."

Somewhere in the Thanium sector, Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Also, I command that all imperial forces suspend their operations, barring those which are dealing with Hutt crime rings, and a ceasefire to take place across the galaxy."

On a ship somewhere in hyperspace, Ahsoka Tano sat down. In another ship, so did Mon Mothma. On the converted Imperial base on Endor, so did Leia.

"The Alliance to Restore the Republic is to be recognised as a legitimate body and is not to be harassed or disturbed in any way. Negotiations are to be opened with Princess Leia Organa, and the Alliance is to be responsible for the rebuilding of the Constitution and a Galactic representative body of some kind, provided that in _both_ their Constitution and their practice, they provide for the poverty-stricken and enslaved in all known corners of the galaxy; and if they cannot they must formally announce those parts of the galaxy that they cannot control as out of their reach. They must not lay claim to systems which they are unable to assist.

"Finally, I declare all slaves of the Empire and in this galaxy to be free, regardless of age, species, or gender. The Alliance to Restore the Republic will be responsible for co-ordinating efforts to assist and to rehabilitate freedbeings.

"Vader out."

For at least a second, all over the galaxy, there was a stunned silence.

"Well," said Han, "That was unexpected."

"He's probably just bluffing," said Lando. "He kept _changing the deal_ when we were on Cloud City, remember?"

"I don't think he's lying," said Leia suddenly.

"Hey, Leia? You alright?" asked Han.

"No," she said, standing. She was as white as a sheet, and her hands were shaking.

"I'm not alright. I won't be alright until Luke gets back."

"I though you said he wasn't on that thing when it blew!"

"I won't be alright until I know that he is!"

"Sweetheart -"

"Not now, Han. I have a meeting to attend with High Command. They'll want to analyse Vader's message."

Chewie said that that was all very well, but Leia couldn't hide from her problems forever. He added that it was easier to face problems with somebody else rather than alone, and that in his opinion, Han Solo was the best candidate.

"Oh, shut up you," she said, as she marched out to the Command room.

Chewie said that he had told her so, and there was an uncomfortable silence for a minute. It was broken in the most jarring way possible.

"Do you think the Emperor was telling the truth?" C-3PO asked.

"Suuuuure, 3PO, of course he was!" cried Lando. "The guy _always_ tells the truth. He's the most honest guy I know. Isn't that right, Han?"

"Yeah," returned Han, "Except that he got _you_ to lie about where he was, which isn't actually that difficult, and he told ya that he was only gonna freeze Luke in carbonite and let you keep charge of Leia and Chewie! Oh, and did I forget that _delightful_ invitation to lunch?"

"Yeah, the guy had guts. Pity they got utilised for that sorry-excuse-for-a-royal highness, or whatever it is that you're supposed to call him."

" _Were_ supposed to call him. He's dead now. Supposedly."

There was another silence.

" . . . Do ya think it'll be better or worse, with Vader as the Emperor?" asked Lando

"Probably worse," said Han glumly. "He's Vader. And until we get our Jedi-boy-starpilot back in our court, we don't stand a chance against him."

Chewie said that they would have to find the strength to fight and the wisdom to know when not to.

"Well said," said Han.

"Do you really think that there's a time _not_ to fight Vader?" asked Lando. "Or oppose him, at the very least? Or do subterfuge or whatever it is we're supposed to do?"

Chewie told Lando that stranger things could happen under the Corellian sun.

* * *

On the _Ghost_ , Ezra Bridger stood staring open-mouthed at the holotransmitter for several minutes after the transmission had ceased. Karan Jarrus sat down heavily with Hera at his side.

"Well," said Zeb gruffly, "I don't think we were expecting _that_."

"I don't think we were," agreed Kanan. It was all he could think of to say.

"How . . . in the galaxy . . . did _that_ happen?!" said Ezra, who was beginning to recover from his catatonia.

"That's what I'd like to know," said Sabine.

"I'm more worried about how he got access to out transmitter," said Hera. "Sabine, let's see if we can trace the transmission. Zeb, inform Pheonix Squadron of this anomaly and then go chart a nice convoluted hyperspace route to throw Vader off our track before we rendezvous with Ahsoka. We ought to tell her about this in person. Kanan, Ezra, I know you're in shock, so you can do some nice unthinking work by servicing the engines and the guns. We may need them when we exit hyperspace."

* * *

"Kanan," said Ezra, as they began checking readouts of the starboard gun, "Did you feel a - shift in the Force?"

"I did. It's . . . like nothing I ever experienced before. It's so big, I don't know how to describe it."

"It's like . . . it's like the galaxy is at _peace_ again," said Ezra. "Kanan - if he was lying, do you think he's powerful enough to make us _feel_ this way?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't put it past him, but . . ."

"If we stretched out, do you think he'd still be able to trick us? Or would we be able to find out?"

Kanan put his readouts down and sighed. "I really don't know. Maybe we _would_ be tricked."

"That's no excuse not to try! If we're gonna hide behind our old fears of being tricked . . ."

Kanan smiled. "You're right, Ezra. Let's find out."

They closed their eyes, both of them, and reached out with a hand each.

Then Ezra _felt_ it, and at the same time Kanan shouted something that brought the rest of the crew running.

"It's true! It's true! Hera, he's not lying - we're at peace now! The fight is won!" He was clutching at Hera's arms, and she saw to her amazement that there were tears of joy sliding down his face. Ezra was leaning against the gunner's chair with a smile on his face so bright it could have ignited the stars.

"Ezra, c'mon! We've got to tell Ahsoka!" Kanan was tearing out of the gunner's station out to the holotransmitter. He tapped in Ahsoka's ship frequency and her blue holographic image sprang up. "Ahsoka! Ashoka, he's . . . he's . . ."

Ahsoka lifted her face up to face the crew of the _Ghost_. Like Kanan, there were tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Yes," she whispered. "Anakin's free now. He always wanted to be free, and he was always searching for peace, but he never found it. He's found them both now. Kanan, Ezra - I think the Sith are dead. The Dark Side has been vanquished."

"Yeah," said Ezra with a grin. It stretched from ear to ear. "Yeah, I can _feel_ it."

"Still, no need to get careless," said Hera. "We'll follow our original rendezvous instructions, then go get our orders from Commander Sato. Let's see what's going on here."


	2. Meet the Padawan

_Home One, Endor. Three days after the Battle of Endor._

* * *

The three Force-wielders trooped into the High Command Conference Room. Leia looked them up and down critically. There was a togruta woman with a prosthetic arm and whose lekku, at some point, had been hacked at; she was missing a montral as well. Then there were two human males; a dark-haired young man about Luke's age, and a man who seemed uncannily like Han.

"Ahsoka Tano, alias Fulcrum, Kanan Jarrus, and Ezra Bridger, Pheonix Squadron," said Sato by way of introduction. They are aware that Darth Vader is . . . force sensitive, and they claim that, um, a 'disturbance in the force' occurred around the time of the Battle of Endor and again at the time of the transmission."

"What do -" began Mothma, but she never got any further, because the door opened and Luke Skywalker came bounding into the room with R2-D2 on his heels. Ashoka whipped round. If she could have gone pale, she would have done so. As it was, she grabbed Ezra's arm to steady herself.

"Commander Skywalker reporting back here," he said. "I'm sorry I didn't get back earlier, but I'm here to confirm that everything in Vader's transmission was true."

"And you think that because . . . ?"

"I felt it."

At the end of the table, Madine sighed.

"Jedi abilities?" asked Ackbar.

"Yes."

"It's true," said Ahsoka. "We three felt it too, all of us."

"And so do I," added Leia.

Heads down the table turned in her direction.

Luke explained that the Force was strong with Leia.

"Very well," said Mothma at last. Since we have it on the best authority possible in . . . these matters, we shall make a contingency plan in case Vader's orders were not true before moving on to our plans for how we shall proceed if we are to assume they are."

* * *

All four force-wielders had been herded into one of _Home One_ 's rec rooms when Ahsoka sat down and turned to Luke.

"So, Skyboy," she said, "Can I ask how old you are?"

"Twenty-three. Why do you ask?"

Ahsoka grinned. "'Cause I fought with your father in the Clone Wars. I was wondering if he'd got his girl under my nose."

"He said that Leia would know my mother's name."

"You mean that _you_ don't?"

"No. I'm told that she died around the time I was born, though I don't know anything about it. My Uncle Owen once said that Father brought a girlfriend with him when he came to visit once, but he didn't know if she was my mother or not."

Ahsoka sat down. "If your Mom was who I think she was, she was the best Senator of the old Republic. She was my friend, too. A great champion of the people and a great champion of the light. We saved each other's lives several times, went on missions together . . . How much did your father tell you?"

"A lot of what you just did, actually. He said her name was Padmé Naberrie, but the galaxy knew her as Amidala."

"Yeah, they did. He . . ."

"What was he like? Back then? You said you'd fought with him . . ."

"I did more than fight with him. He trained me as his apprentice. Padawan, they called it back then." She shook her head and smiled sadly. "He was . . . He was a fine pilot and a good friend. He was one of the most compassionate people I knew, even if he was as stubborn as an untamed Bantha. You look a lot like him, or at least how he used to look. Well, except for the height bit . . . You get that from your Mom."

"Sounds like I have a pretty impressive lineage."

"I'm just glad that the war is over."

"So am I."

There was a long silence.

"I didn't get your name."

"I'm Ahsoka. Ahsoka Tano. Commander Sato dragged us over to testify about the transmission."

"Ahsoka . . . are you a Jedi? Master Yoda said that I was the last."

"I'm not. At least, I'm not a Jedi in the sense that I'm part of the old Order. Neither are Ezra and Kanan there. But we serve the Light."

"Maybe an Order isn't what constitutes the Jedi."

Ahsoka leaned back, blinking. "What do you mean?"

"Isn't a Jedi someone who serves the Galaxy by serving the Force?"

Ahsoka looked taken aback. "I never thought of it that way," she said. "Perhaps none of us did, until it was too late. The Jedi of the old Order thought only in terms of an institution with rules and regulations."

"Why do you say 'too late'?"

"They were . . . not as pure toward the end, but they thought that they were. That was their problem."

"They were self-righteous?! But Ben told me-"

"Who's Ben?"

"Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Ashoka's face lit up. "Obi-Wan Kenobi trained you? I don't know where he got the energy to train two generations of Skywalkers, but it must have been good. That man could take on Sith Lords and win."

"Sith Lords?"

"He didn't tell you?"

"He only trained me for a few days. Master Yoda did the rest."

"Did he try telling you there is no try?"

"Yeah, he did. And then he started levitating my starfighter around."

"Sounds like Master Yoda. Is he still going?"

"No. He died shortly before the battle."

Ashoka looked down. "It would have been nice to see him again," she said. "We had our differences, but Order 66 made all of that a moot point."

"Why, did something happen?"

"You could say that. Another story for another day. For now, let's just celebrate."

"And mourn for my father."

"Mourn for him? Skyboy, he's got what he always wanted! Peace, freedom, and people to love him! There's no need to mourn. I've got - hey! Do you drink tea?"

" _Tea?_ "

"Yeah, tea. You can't be a Jedi and not drink tea - well, maybe you can if you're a Skywalker, but the rest of us - I mean Kanan and I - used to get tea every morning when we were younglings. It was practically a rite-of-passage in the Temple the first time the teachers let you drink tea."


	3. In These Forgotten Halls

On a planet in the Outer Rim, whose name nobody was allowed to know, the _Phantom_ touched down on an under-maintained landing pad.

"You're better at landing than your father," said Ahsoka. "He used to crash every ship he flew, and none moreso than at landings."

It had taken a lot of negotiation between Luke and the crew of the _Ghost_ to commandeer the _Phantom_ on what Kanan had called a 'family visit'. Ashoka had expected him to put up the most resistance to the plan, and that it would take the combined efforts of Ezra and Hera to talk him into letting them 'visit', but he had proved, surprisingly, to be rather amicable to the idea.

"You _have_ seen him, right? In his armour, I mean."

"I almost wish I hadn't."

"Well, it's good ya have, because . . . Ahsoka, I don't know what happened, but when his mask is off it's not a pretty sight."

* * *

The man who had been Darth Vader, as it turned out, did not have his mask off, but was standing over a wreck of an engine of some kind trying to fix it one-handed. As the door hissed open, he turned to face Luke and Ahsoka. He went very still. Luke suddenly noticed that the rasp of the respirator, which would have filled in the silence, was missing. He had expected as such, after the operation, but the breathing was so synonymous with his father's black, hulking image that its _absence_ was quite jarring.

"Skyguy," said Ahsoka by way of greeting. Her voice was audibly thick.

"Hello, Snips," he shot back.

Another silence.

"Do you have anything to say?" Ahsoka said at last. Her voice was clear, but there was a distinct wobble there.

"No."

"What about an apology?"

"What good would an apology do now?"

More painful silence.

"Y'know, Skyguy, you were always terrible at apologies. Guess this is really you, right?"

"Hiding behind humour does not suit you, Ahsoka. If you are grieving for me, I would rather you went ahead and grieved instead of shutting your eyes to the reality of things."

Ashoka looked up.

"You're right," she said. "You've changed after all.

"Now I could be bitter at you for my montrals, and I could be bitter at you for everything that Darth Vader has done. But I won't. I don't have to be. Anakin . . . welcome home."

"I apologize for taking off your montrals."

"Now whose hiding behind humour?"

* * *

The secret medical facility on this planet had been set up in one wing of some ancient grand building, and in said building was a high, echoing hall in which father, son and apprentice stood. There was a tall rectangular opening in the stonework, which afforded a sweeping view of the forests and the skies outside.

Stars gleamed down at them, and the full moon's silvery glow provided light.

Anakin Skywalker stared out at it for a moment before turning so that his profile faced the window.

"We came here for answers, Father," said Luke. "We want to know why you fell to the Dark Side."

Anakin turned to face them. His back was to the window now, and one side of his mask was steeped in shadow; the other reflected the moonlight; and the white moon itself shone brightly over the curve of his dark helmet.

"Many reasons," he said, "but the greatest was that I was a fool and a coward. I thought the problem was with the galaxy when the problem was with me."

"What do you mean, Father?"

"How much have you been told about my youth, Luke?"

"Different things. Uncle Owen and Ahsoka here both said you were stubborn. But everybody else says you were brave, and good, and compassionate. I don't understand what happened."

"Very well. The Emperor - the _Chancellor_ , he was then - told me at the end of the Clone Wars that he had heard of the power to cheat death."

"And you took it to end the war?" asked Luke

"No. The war was already coming to an end by then; it was all but over. But your mother was dying."

"My mother? How?"

Anakin turned away.

"You remember Bespin?"

"Yes, Father. It's hard to forget."

"And you know how your Grandmother died?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with it?"

"Everything, because before her death I dreamed of her capture. And then three years later I began to dream of your mother's death.

"I tried so hard to stop them. That was how I knew you would come to Bespin. But I also tried to ignore my dreams about my mother in the name of duty, and by the time I knew I had to find her, it was too late. So you can imagine what I thought when I dreamed of your mother's death when she was pregnant with you, and I could not even see your future, Luke. I thought, at the time, that you would both die before you were even born.

"And then the Chancellor came to me, and told me he knew of my troubles, and that he had heard of a way to cheat death.

"So I returned to the Jedi to tell them that the Emperor was our ancient enemy, and they sent their best men in the system to confront him. He killed all but one of them by the time I got there - your mother did not want me to go, but I disobeyed her wishes.

"By the time I got there, the Jedi Master and the Chancellor were in a stalemate, and each one was wounding the other grievously. At the time, I was fool enough to trust the Chancellor, because I thought he was my only hope of saving you. I disarmed the Jedi Master, and that sorry-excuse-for-a-sentient killed him.

"I knew, then, that I had gone too far. The Jedi of old were unforgiving, and there had grown between them and I such a rift that I did not think I had hope of crossing it. So I knelt and pledged myself to the Emperor; and from then on I was his man until you saved me."

"Why did you tell the Jedi that the Emperor was your enemy?" asked Luke, and then, as a new thought took hold - "Hey - if he was Chancellor, doesn't that mean he got elected? Why on earth would anybody elect _him_?"

"Playing the galaxy from the start, he was," said a familiar voice, and Ahsoka cried out "Master Yoda!"

"Yes," the disembodied voice continued, "Another tale, is that, and a happy one for your mother and father."

"But not a happy day for the galaxy," pointed out Anakin.

"In agreement, on this, we are," said Yoda, "And tell them, you should, of Mustafar."

" _Mustafar?!_ " gasped Ahsoka in horror. "Where Jedi go to die?"

"Yes. As soon as I pledged myself to the Emperor, he ordered me to attack the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and to kill everyone in it. Of Order 66, I have already told you.

"Immediately after that, he sent me to Mustafar to kill the last of the Separatist Leaders.

"What he did not know was that I told your mother of where I was going, although not of my intent. Obi-Wan came to her after I had left, and told her of my part in the Temple Massacre, and she came after me to Mustafar."

Ashoka suddenly groaned. "Anakin - please say you didn't -"

"I regret to say that I did. She landed after my business was done, and asked me to come away. She did not believe that I had fallen to the Dark Side, and wanted me to return to who I had been.

"When I told her that I had indeed done so, and offered her a place by my side, she told me, as you did, Luke - that she would never join me as I was then, and tried to leave."

"And then I turned up," said another disembodied voice with a clipped Coruscanti accent, and the ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi shimmered into being. Both Anakin and Ahsoka jumped.

"There was an altercation . . . and we fought. I almost believed Skywalker dead, and when I won the fight, I did not see how he could survive. So I left him, and the Emperor found him and . . . put him in the suit, I would assume."

"You did not mention the worst of it," said Anakin roughly.

"Should he know?"

"He is the same age as I was, and infinitely more stable."

"What?" Luke's head swivelled between the three others standing there. "But - if you were the same age as I was - then you'd be -"

"Forty-six."

"Oh," said Luke in surprise. He scratched the back of his neck. "I . . . I always imagined you would be older, Father. Forty-six . . . that's . . . that's _young_."

"At your age, I would have thought forty-six rather ancient, doubtless," said Anakin, with a touch of amusement to his voice. "Obi-Wan was thirty-eight at the time, and I believed him to be a humourless old-fashioned space slug."

"Hardly humourless, apprentice mine," said Obi-Wan.

"Yup," echoed Ahsoka. "But we aren't supposed to hide behind humour, are we?"

"No," said Anakin, suddenly serious. "When he came up . . . I thought that he was trying to steal Padmé Amidala away from me, although _I_ had already done that deed many times over. I thought she had betrayed me, and . . . she was wounded by my hand. She must have lived long enough to give birth . . . but I do not . . . I do not doubt . . . that it was by . . . those wounds . . . that she . . . that she died."

Anakin Skywalker reached out with his good hand, and took two steps over to a stone pillar to brace himself upright.

"She said one thing of you after she recovered consciousness," said Obi-Wan. Mask and montral whipped round; Luke kept his focus on his father.

"She asked if you were alright, and she said that there was still good in you."

Anakin said nothing.

"Skyguy?" said Ahsoka, "Are you . . ."

" . . . Her son takes after her more than I had thought," said Anakin at last. He felt dizzy, lightheaded, and not because of the lung operation that had been done on him four days prior. The stars were shining ever brighter, and something about Luke's presence was making him want to rush over and hug the boy . . .

Darth Vader had not done hugs, but Anakin Skywalker had, and he most certainly did so now.

* * *

"Well, goodbye, Anakin," said Ahsoka a day later as she climbed into the _Phantom_. "See ya 'round."

Luke gave his father that beaming smile that he's gotten from Padmé. "I'd stay longer, but the Alliance needs me. Are you sure that you'll be OK?"

"It is my duty to worry about you, son, not the other way around."

"And when it's time for your next transplant . . ."

"I doubt things will go wrong, Luke. I have survived two burnings which would have killed anybody else, and countless other illness and injuries besides."

He had been given a full lung transplant, which was far more comfortable and took away the rasp of his breathing, but he still needed his mask to act as a filter of micro-organisms and a purifier of oxygen. He would need a transplant every year or so, the medics had told him, and with each transplant his bodily abilities would decrease and the risk of post-operation mortality would increase.

"Well, yeah, tell me how you're doing and I'll tell you how I am."

He had no right to have anybody so concerned about him, but to refuse such concern would be as arrogant as demanding it, and so he said, "I shall. Tell your sister of your mother. They would be extraordinarily proud of one another. I would like her to have _one_ parent she is able to love."

"Will do, Father. Hey, are you gonna rest here like the medics told you for a week, or do you have other plans?"

"I intend to make this galaxy a better place."

"How?"

"I was born a slave, and kept enslaved all my life. What better way to ensure that others are freed?"


	4. Dynamic Entry

"Tarkinville Base, this is the _Amidala_. Requesting permission to land."

At his console at Tarkinville Base, Saleucami, Jack Tankad's mouth dropped open. For four years the _Amidala_ had been an unseen beacon of hope. Its crew of droids, and - it was rumoured - a Jedi, had been operational in the independent rescue operations of slaves, from the conglomeration of former imperial warriors who were labelling themselves the 'First Order' to the imperials gone rogue, to Hutts and just plain criminals and lowlifes who needed free labour.

Slave owners generally reported a droid relaying a message to tell the slave owners that they were cowards of a great spectacle.

From reports of slaves, it was known that sometimes a Jedi assisted the releasing operations on the ground; that the sentient pilot and probable mastermind was categorically never seen. He stuck around in a smaller shuttle that was perpetually attached to or remote-controlling the _Amidala_ , which, they knew from testimonies of passengers, had the moniker _Queen's Daughter_. It was known that there was a medical droid on board, because everybody came off clutching at a copy of the results of a medical scan; and a therapist droid, because everybody came off with readouts of a basic psychological report as well. And there was a repair droid, naturally.

And then - the _Amidala_ had a habit of beaming vital information about not-so-sentientarian imperials, military or no, to what was supposed to be the lawful galactic government now. When negotiations had started with the Empire, and some had given over the Alliance in turn for freedom of speech in the new Chamber of Representation, if not freedom of action; and some had joined the First Order; and some had gone rogue, nobody had known what to call what was essentially a mix of ex-rebels and ex-imperials. Somebody had proposed 'the Alliance' as a working name, and it had stuck.

The _Amidala_ didn't just beam unsavoury information about non-Alliance personnel. It was quite happy uncovering the dirt on everybody. It was a rogue element, unaffiliated and answering, seemingly, to no one, but it seemed to work well enough.

Tankad realized that the _Amidala_ was waiting to land, and that his mouth was hanging open. " _Amidala_ , we copy," he said. His voice came out sounding amazingly normal. "Hanger 2017 available; please land there."

"Copy that. Over and out."

The _Amidala_ wasn't beaming any information, so Jack assumed that there would be a shipment of ex-slaves on their way to rehabilitation.

"Tankad to Control, the _Amidala_ will be landing in Hangar 2017 shortly. Please prepare a welcoming party, over."

"Control to Tankad, a welcoming party will be prepared. Control out."

* * *

Lieutenant Hanno Veizer stepped out into Hangar 2017, along with Doctors Shiphrah and Anluaun, and several other personnel besides, including Commander Kryze. Sometimes these passengers could be scared and unwilling to co-operate, unbelieving of their good fortune, and suspicious of everyone around them. Others could be terrified and traumatised, and all manner of other things. So it was usually best for safety's sake to have everyone on their guard, at least at first.

The _Amidala_ was hovering above the Hangar now; a streamlined Nubian beauty with . . . _cannons_ on the wings. And there was a spectacularly ugly small skiff clamped to the top, almost over the cockpit. The ship began to touch down, and the wind blast ruffled Veizer's face and made his hair and jacket ripple. Down, down, the ship came, and then the ramp began to descend.

Then Darth Vader walked down the ramp.

There was a moment's silence, and then the shooting started. The blaster bolts dropped to the floor around him.

Then the satchel (satchel?!) that he had slung over his shoulder opened, and _datapads_ starting floating out.

"You have no need to fear me, strange as that may seem," said Vader, "If I had wished to kill you, many of you would already be dead."

Vader, Veizer noticed, was missing his right hand. On the stump was some kind of white binding, and there was a pale grey disk of metal on the stump. His helmet was scratched, dull, and covered in scuffs and what looked like scorch marks.

The first datapad out of the satchel landed in Commander Kryze's hands.

"That is formal declaration to the Chamber of Representation. Ensure, Commander, that it reaches its destination." A second datapad followed. "And _that,_ Commander, contains my formal statement of guilt and my request to be processed by the justice of the Alliance."

Another datapad floated over to Doctor Shiphrah. "This contains my medical requirements and the instructions to find and operate some of the medical apparatus on my ship -" Another datapad floated over to Doctor Anluaun - "And this is my Will."

Then another datapad floated into Veizer's hands. "And _that_ is Intelligence I have been able to gather on Major Brutillus of the Christophsis System."

The pale grey disk mounted on his stump floated off and into Veizer's hands. "An electromagnet, designed to mitigate the difficulty of having only one hand. I believe it would grant you more peace of mind to know that I only had one hand functional."

* * *

"Moderator . . . incoming transmission to you from Tarkinville Base. They say it's urgent."

Mon Mothma turned around and took the transmitter from the aide, and switched it on.

"Moderator Mothma, we have . . . well, there's just been an interesting turn of events down here," began a man with a strong resemblance to the late Duchess of Mandalore and a Commander's insignia, "The cruiser _Amidala_ just landed at the Base, and . . . Darth Vader was aboard."

Mother promptly fell back into the nearest chair.

"Darth Vader . . . ?" said whispered.

"Yes, ma'am. And . . . and here's the funny bit. He . . . he turned himself in. He's . . . he's got . . . _prerecorded messages_ for you! I don't know what to make of it, but transmission commenc-"

"Was anyone hurt?"

"Well . . . no, actually. He all but said that he _didn't_ want to hurt us."

"What did he say precisely, Commander?"

"He said . . . 'If I had wished to kill you, many of you would already be dead', ma'am."

"It doesn't sound much like Darth Vader to me. Are you sure you have not found an imposter?"

Back on Tarkinville Base, Korkie Kryze didn't think any being would have much cause to dress up as Darth Vader and turn himself in, and said so.

"The Galaxy is a large place, Commander."

He conceded the point, although somebody who decided to dress up as Darth Vader for the purposes of turning himself in was not somebody he was likely to understand anytime soon.

"And, er, this 'prerecorded message'?"

"Transmitting now, ma'am. There are actually two of them, so I'm sending them in order that he gave them to me . . ."

A miniature blue image of Darth Vader sprang up. He was missing his cloak and his right hand; there was some kind of white sealant on the stump.

" _I am aware of the current difficulties_ _the Chamber of Representatives in the Alliance is having in defining the rights of Imperial Commanders and the limitations thereof, especially in relation to Republic and Alliance policy, although I must congratulate collaboration of the Chamber and its Arbiters on sentientarian policy. I am also aware of the difficulties that have arisen in the matter of developing a new constitution beyond the workings of the Chamber of Representatives._

 _"I am aware that the problem arose when Imperials pledged their loyalty to me as their Emperor, and refused to endorse any part of a Constitution that did not have my personal approval._

 _"I was never astute in politics, or what would constitute a peaceful galaxy beyond improving myself; and so, as I am clearly unfit for ruling and hated across the galaxy for excellent reason, I shall abdicate the position of Emperor in favour of the Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker, to do with as he sees fit, and I request Imperial personnel to pledge him their loyalty._

 _"I have every faith that Skywalker will do what is_ right.

 _"Vader Out."_

Since his unprecedented broadcast four years ago, there had been one sighting of Darth Vader, and even that was unconfirmed.

Why he was going back online _now_ was anybody's guess. Skywalker and the other Force-wielders swore that Vader was no longer a threat, and since he hadn't been seen, and since nobody else knew enough about the man to make any accurate predictions, they had uneasily abided by that judgment. Jedi were known for their wisdom, after all.

All that didn't stop Mothma from feeling uneasy. Wasn't it supposedly Vader's way to march into whatever he was going to do with cadres of stormtroopers and take no prisoners? What was this sudden interest in abdication and sentientarian causes all of a sudden? What was this sudden change of heart (if indeed it was that) towards the _Jedi_?

"Moderator? There's the other message he wanted to send . . ."

Mothma decided to get all this oddness done and over with as soon as possible.

"Proceed, Commander," she said, still sitting down.

"It's eleven hours long, Moderator."

Mothma turned to her aide. "Radom, cancel all of my appointments for today; it's something of an emergency. See if you could get Moderator Bonteri to cover my duties."

"Yes, ma'am," said Radom, and left the office.

Mothma turned back to her transmitter and took a deep breath. "Commander, please upload the message," she said.

"Copy that; transmission commencing. Kryze out."

* * *

The message from Darth Vader was nothing less than a formal admission of guilt of every war crime and murder Mothma had known he'd committed, as well as rather too many that she hadn't, rounded off by a formal request to be processed by the Alliance's justice system. He requested that his Will (he claimed to have left it on Saleucami) be carried out, and that his droids be treated well. The doctors at Tarkinville Outpost had been informed of his medical requirements.

It was a shock, not least because the listing of all Vader's crimes took up the better part of ten hours. Mothma had known that he had murdered countless Jedi - Master Kenobi among them, Leia had stood witness - and rumours that he had murdered Padmé Amidala had always been around - and everybody who had contacts with Special Ops was aware that he went about on Jedi hunts, and taught the Inquisitors to do the same.

But to hear it spoken boldly, and that the list of crimes was so abominably long . . .

It took a lot to shock Mon Mothma, but she could say with absolutely no reserve, at this point in space-time, that she was indeed shocked.

She was unsure if the fact that Vader was confessing was what shocked her so, or if it was _what_ he was confessing.

What to do with this now, she thought? In the old days, she would have taken this straight to High Command and had it processed there; but now that they were collaborating with parts of the now-headless Empire, she would have to take this before the entire Chamber of Representatives. Because while said Chamber was actually very good at getting day-to-day business done, and there was enough collaboration to stop an actual re-outbreak of war, it was a very, very _fragile_ alliance. Most of High Command, a number of Imperials, and any number of the more neutral Arbiters from the Chamber were perpetually working overtime to ensure that it didn't break. Day-to-day business (what to do with refugees from the First Order, system disputes) went on uninterrupted; and transfer of power from Planetary Governors to an elected government had even been sorted out in some systems. But the finer points of things still went unresolved. The Alliance had no fixed Constitution, for example, (every talk to establish one had ended in failure) and to try someone of Vader's prominence would be a shambles if nobody knew what laws to follow. The complete lack of a figurehead didn't make things any easier, either.

Wait . . . hadn't Vader said something about a successor . . . ?

 _"I shall abdicate the position of Emperor in favour of the Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker, to do with as he sees fit, and I request Imperial personnel to pledge him their loyalty._ _I have every faith that Skywalker will do what is_ right."

Mothma sat back in her chair. So she hadn't been imagining it. But why would Darth Vader nominate General _Skywalker_ as his successor at all?

She was missing something here, something very, very big. It looked as though she might have to convene with High Command after all.

* * *

"Skywalker, why do you think Vader would nominate you as his successor?" asked Ackbar without preamble as soon as the recordings cut.

"We came to an understanding when I turned myself in on Endor."

"You _did_ mention this in your report?"

"Not in the first one. It's in the revised version I put up after I got round to seeing that broadcast he did just after Endor."

"And what's in it?"

"Well . . . he . . . he stopped the Emperor from torturing me, at great personal risk to himself, and the Emperor got killed in the altercation, so he couldn't leave the Death Star when everybody else did. When I asked Vader why he killed the Emperor to defend me, he said that he'd had enough of him."

Han, sitting further down the table, tried not to dwell on the thought that there were people in this galaxy that _Darth Vader_ could get sick of. He, for one, was very glad that one of those people, at least, was no longer around to trouble the realms of the living.

"And the . . . shift that you and the others mentioned, Skywalker?" asked General Dodonna.

"Happened when I disarmed him and refused to fight any further. It was what a Jedi ought to have done, but I feel . . . I feel like deep down, he wasn't expecting mercy. It made an impression on him."

"An impression great enough to make you Emperor?"

Luke flushed. "I guess he thinks that I'd do a better job of things than he did. Or at least, that I can be trusted. I mean, he's a soldier, not a politician . . . like me."

Leia glanced up. "Well, if nothing else, this gives us some leverage on the Constitution we want to make," she said.

"I'm not really a politician, Leia. I mean, I know you've got me studying political theory and all that, but seriously, Leia, that's not what I'm good at. Make me one of those Arbiters any day . . .

"The point is, I'm not cut out to be a leader. So I'm going to need help until we've got the Constitution in place and I can step down."

"Very well," said Mothma. "We will need to show this to the Chamber, and then decide precisely _how_ we'll be trying Vader . . ."

"Well, assuming that half the reps in the Chamber don't just dive into Tarkinville Base and lynch him. Or free him, in the case of the Imps."

"I propose we get him to a secure, secret location," suggested Calrissian, "before we go about telling the Chamber. Of course, they'll have to know someday . . ."

"Someday _soon_ , Lando," said Leia pointedly. In her experience, withheld information led to breakdowns of trust, and breakdowns of trust led to breakdowns of diplomatic relations, and breakdowns of diplomatic relations generally led to war.

* * *

"Skywalker," called General Ackbar after the meeting was adjourned, "can I have a word?"

Luke came over, and crossed over into an empty, adjoining corridor with the Mon Calamari Admiral.

"Is there anything else we should know, Skywalker?" he asked.

On Tatooine, Aunt Beru had told Luke, more than once, that honesty was the best policy. And frankly, not incriminating himself over something like this was a cowardly act anyway. He had done things he wasn't proud of and he had made mistakes, but when it came to dealings with his father post-Endor, his conscience was clear as it could be, except for the deception.

"There is something else," he said, "But I don't think, at this point, that it will affect anything. Admiral . . . you may as well know that Vader and I have a history. But I'd prefer not to talk about it yet, if you don't mind. Is it all right if I tell you more when I've thought it over?"

"Of course, my boy," said Akbar in his barking voice. "You know, you are very like your father's apprentice when she was younger."

"You met her before?"

"In the Clone Wars. Your father came to bodyguard Senator Amidala, like he always did, when King Yos Kolina died, to stop tensions between the Mon Cala and the Quarren on Dac. He brought his apprentice with him, and Tano guarded the King when the fighting broke out."

"Fighting?"

"The Separatists had tried to make an alliance with the Quarren," Ackbar explained. "In hindsight, it was our fault. Our kind had treated the Quarren like second-class citizens, and we paid the price."

"What happened?"

"The Quarren Chieftain found that the Separatists had no more use for the Quarren than the Mon Calamari. And he knew the Prince well enough to realise that Lee-Char would do well by his people; and so he has done."

"Gial?"

"Yes?"

"A lot of people who remember the Old Republic seem to remember it one of two ways."

"Yes. It's something I've noticed myself; they see it either through red or green filters."

"So is the truth somewhere between the two?"

"Most certainly. The Republic had its faults, towards the end, and in great number. For all that, it was not nearly so heartless as the Empire. Individuals with a heart could live there to make the Galaxy a better place; individuals like Senator Amidala."

"Do you have any idea how we should proceed with the Constitution?"

"Very little, Skywalker. Only what worked for my own system and in the past. This is why we talk, to learn from others."

Luke smiled. "That's very true, General. I guess it's why we should listen, too."

"You're very wise, General," said Ackbar with a smile.

"I've known some much wiser," grinned Luke. They stepped out of the corridor and went their separate ways.

Aunt Beru had said that honesty was the best policy, but all Luke had been honest about was that he was hiding something, and he didn't like it.

The crux of the problem was, he decided, that if he was to go unmasking his father, there was a reasonable possibility of dragging down Leia, Ahsoka, Kanan, and Ezra with him, who had all known about his father's . . . continued survival.

He'd have to speak with those concerned, or he wouldn't know what was needed, exactly. As Leia had once pointed out, doing things too much on your own was a good way of making flawed decisions.

* * *

It had been many, many years, but Commander Korkie Kryze of Tarkinville Base, Saleucami, recognised his old teacher immediately when she turned up.

"Ahsoka!"

"Long time, Korkie. Listen, I need to speak to Vader, alone. Without cameras. Can you arrange that?"

"Whose orders are you acting under?"

"We Jedi decided I was the best choice to question him about a few things. We asked High Command for permission, and well, here I am!"

"And those things are?"

Ahsoka smiled to herself. She couldn't fault Korkie for being cautious and astute, especially when she had taught him to be so herself. "Well, first, I'd like to check that this is the real guy on our hands."

"Sensing presences?"

"Yeah. And asking him why he turned himself in if he _is_ the real thing."

"Beats me why," said Korkie frankly. "If I had been as much of a criminal as he was, I'd either give up and die or fight to the end."

Ahsoka twisted her head slightly to look at Korkie a little better. "Why would you do that?"

"Well, if I was him, and the whole galaxy was out for my blood -"

"Not the whole Galaxy, Commander. We're still at an impasse in the Chamber because the Imps won't do anything important without him, and we're still fighting the First Order."

"Well, if _most_ of the Galaxy was out for my blood, I doubt I'd just give in. But then, I imagine he's different from me. I _hope_ he is. I don't like to think what would happen if even a reasonably capable being like me got out of hand, never mind a superpowered warrior. I guess figuring out what's going through his head is what you're here for!" Korkie grinned sheepishly. "I was always a bit slow on the uptake. It's why I never got promoted higher - well, I did, but I turned it down. Sato's filling that post a lot better than I would."

"So modest, Korkie. You'da made a good Jedi if you could."

"Thanks, Ahsoka." he picked up his comm. "Tarkinville Base, this is Commander Kryze. Jedi Affiliate Ahsoka Tano is here and requests to speak to Vader alone and without cameras." He turned to her. "Do you need anyone in there with you?"

"No, Korkie. But thanks for asking."

Korkie turned back to his comm. "See that her requests are properly carried out. I shall escort her to the holding cell."

* * *

A/N I'm surprised (and flattered!) to see, in relative terms, so many followers.

I've seen lots of 'post ROTJ Anakin lives and everything is perfect' fics, so I wanted to avoid that road this time. Hence the scratched-up suit and all the secrecy. Oh, and Anakin chose not to have his hand replaced. A magnet on the stump is just there so that he can 'hold' metal on it.


	5. First Rays of Dawn

The door to Anakin's cell shot open, and his old apprentice was standing in the doorway. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. He could see her lightsabers clipped onto her belt.

"What is your true name?" she asked him immediately.

"Are we not being watched?"

"The Commander was kind enough to turn off all recording devices in this cell. I informed him that in the event you were an imposter, you might not appreciate Vader finding out."

"Can you not sense me?"

"I can, but High Command wants to make sure that you're the real you."

"You will find I am."

"OK, just to make sure, so I have something to tell them . . . what's your name?"

"My name . . . is Anakin Skywalker."

"And our late unlamented Darth Sidious's last words?"

"They were 'So be it, Jedi. Prepare to die'."

"Good, Skyguy," she said, and leaned back against the door of the cell, completely at ease. "What possessed you to turn yourself in?! You could incriminate Luke!"

"I had informed Luke that I was considering surrender. I have set my affairs in order, including the programming of my droids and the recording devices on the _Amidala_ so as not to incriminate anybody, and I am turning myself in for a variety of reasons."

"Which are . . . ?"

"My health is failing is one of them. Since my previous operation, I have come close to collapsing several times whilst on missions and severely endangered several implementations of Operation Podrace. Seeing as I will soon be incapable of executing it, and seeing that I shall be dead in a few months, I decided that I would die as I ought."

"Die as you ought?! As a prisoner of war?! As . . . Anakin, I don't think I understand you."

"I wish to die as a Jedi," explained Anakin, "And so I must die upholding peace and justice in the Galaxy. I do not know how to bring peace, but I can die upholding justice by putting myself under it."

Ahsoka folded her arms around herself in shock. Then she looked up and let her arms fall down by her sides, mirroring Anakin's position.

"I wish Padme could have heard that," she whispered thickly. She choked back tears of grief and of joy. "And Obi-Wan, and Master Yoda." She swallowed. "They'd be proud of you, Master. And I'll tell Luke. He'll be happy to hear it. We're all proud of you, Skyguy, for getting out and getting this far."

"And I of you," said Anakin, and meant it.

* * *

Both Shiphrah and Anluaun were far too professional to let their surprise show when they were actually opening the medical readouts and stripping the _Amidala_ for apparatus with troopers and technicians, but when they got to the Mess Hall (Doctors Cawne, Gbotaye, and Esperra were covering shift), the talk let loose.

"You'd never have guessed he were human, with that life-support," commented Anluaun.

"By all rights, he should be dead about five times over," added Shiphrah.

"He must have been in it since the Empire was born," added Anluaun. "How old do you think he is?"

"Judging by the state of his organs and biological condition, I'd say he might be in his seventies or eighties."

"What happened to him, anyway?" asked Veizer. He had supervised the collection of the medical apparatus from the _Amidala_ , and had stayed on board to do a complete security check. "Is he a droid, an organic, or a cyborg?"

"Why, he's the most cyborg-y cyborg I ever laíd eye on," said Anluaun. Veizer noted that he had never lost his Nila dialect. "His medical notes say he was implanted with most a' his synthesisers after a burnin'."

"There were even more changes after an electrocution shock," added Shiphrah. "He's been in the wars in a figurative sense too."

"From the equipment I saw, and from what you've been telling me," said Veizer, "I gather that Vader could be quite vulnerable, if you removed his life-support and medical apparatus."

"Vulnerable? 'Ead be helpless," said Anluaun.

"I wonder how much the Imperials know," murmured Veizer. "He must have had to keep it a great secret. I can't imagine even Imperials putting up with him unless he cowed them with fear, or unless the Empire had use for him."

"That was true for twenty years," Shiphrah pointed out.

Veizer wondered if that was why Vader was turning himself in. After all, with the Emperor gone, and his personal Star Destroyer and the Death Star gone too, his clout would have fallen a long, long way. And without the Emperor to stop half the Empire splintering up into factions, like it had done so far, the Empire's fragments -

No. That theory had far too many holes in it. Perhaps he would be a bit more vulnerable without the Death Star and the _Executor_ , but he would have been a formidable warrior nonetheless, a great figurehead for what was left of the Empire, and even if a succession crisis on a grand scale had ensued, there would be plenty of Imperials scrambling to get into Vader's good books for his military help and protection. If absolutely nothing else, he was a fine pilot - and if his slave-releasing escapades were any indication (assuming the black-suited cyborg in the brig really _was_ Vader), still quite capable.

So why would he have made a strange and radical announcement over the Holonet, disappeared for several years, and then turned up demanding to be turned in? It made no sense - well, actually, if this was some part of some convoluted plot, most of which hadn't been explained, then maybe it did - but barring _that,_ Vader's movements made almost no sense at all.

Veizer didn't know it, but several hundred parsecs away, the Rebel High Command's members - with a few exceptions - were thinking almost exactly the same thing.

He turned back to the Doctors. "He's managed to evade all notice in a galaxy that hated him all whilst doing some high-profile daring stunts. Who's to say he didn't do the same in the days of the Empire?"

"Maybe," said Anluaun. "But I'd say that his kind of equipment would be hard tae hide."

"He hid it from a good million slaves who passed through that ship of his," pointed out Shiphrah. "Since he had whole Star Destroyers at his disposal, and was second in the Empire, I guess he found it easier to hide even then."

* * *

Solicitor Hoyshin was the finest solicitor in the Saleucami Sector, which was why he'd been called in to go through Vader's will. He had been scanned, vetted, asked to swear an oath of discretion, and now the Gran stood before Commander Kryze in the Base's briefing room.

"Solicitor, we've summoned you here to read the Will of Darth Vader."

The Gran blinked.

"He turned himself into our Base about eighty hours ago, gave us a testimony for the courts and a Will. Ms. Tano gave him a preliminary questioning to establish that it was Darth Vader in our holding cells, and her intel . . . says he is."

"And I'm . . . I'm safe?" stammered out Hoyshin at last.

"As safe as we can make you, Solicitor. You have out protection."

"Well, then, we ought to get to business. You are aware that prisoners were only allowed to issue Wills or have them followed under Republic Law?"

"I am. Moderator Mothma requested that his Will should be read, regardless, so that whatever passes, we know its contents."

Kryze handed over the datapad, and the Gran began to read.

 _I, known to the Galaxy as Darth Vader, do in the seventh month in the reign of Queen_ _Nivanda of Naboo, request that the following shall be carried out either during my trial or immediately after my death:_

 _1) The delivery of all of my unrequisitioned credits and profits from the sale of my real estate properties to be put into the trust of the Jedi and their friends and affiliates to use for the profit of the Beings of this Galaxy, namely, their well-being and happiness._

 _2) The return of my ship, the_ Amidala, _and its auxiliary vessel, the_ Queen's Daughter, _to be returned to the Royal House of Naboo in perpetuity_

 _3) That my droids found aboard the_ Amidala _be spared a memory wipe, and be given the right to choose their own masters, and serve them in perpetuity. If said masters mistreat said Droids, they are to be given the right to leave said master for another of their choice._

 _4) The use of my_ _residence on Varkhar VII, known as Sutos Castle and its grounds, be used for the rehabilitation and healing of freed slaves, and as a headquarters of a body whose purpose is to unite freed slaves with their families and loved ones in perpetuity, or until no slaves exist in this Galaxy in practice or in name._

 _5) That the aforementioned body to reunite slaves and their loved ones be formed under the supervision of the Chamber of Representation_

 _6) That if I am to be executed, that Luke Skywalker remove my mask before I am dead, or lose consciousness during execution_ _procedures_

 _I name as the executors of my Will the following beings:_

 _Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight; R6-B9, my astromech droid; EK-97, my psychotherapist droid; 4-86, my medical droid; R2-D2, the astromech droid who has belonged to the Royal House of Naboo, Jedi Knight and Republic General Anakin Skywalker, the Royal House of Alderaan; Doctor Aphra; Arbiter Pooja Naberrie; and Jar Jar Binks, Representative of Naboo and Bardotta._

 _It is my fervent hope that the Galaxy may recover from the harm I have given it._

 _Vader, a freedman_

Hoyshin looked up. "This is unexpected, Commander. Are you sure that this is Vader's Will?"

"That's what he told us. It's also concurrent with all of the other documents he had in his possession."

"Those documents being . . . ?"

"Medical records, an abdication statement, a testimony of guilt, and some military Intel on rogue warlords."

"In that case . . . is it _positive_ that it is Vader in that brig?"

"Tano believes so. We have samples of the prisoner's genetic data, but we're still waiting on the Imperials to provide Vader's genetic signature. All suit measurements and such match up exactly to everything we know about Vader. In other words, we're as sure as we can possibly be at present that our prisoner is _not_ an imposter."

Korkie had a lot of trouble imagining why any being (unless they were seven feet tall and had a death wish) would be willing to disguise himself as Darth Vader, but he had done his best to follow up on that lead to ensure that the being in cell 2017 was the genuine article. And apart from all the completely left-field actions, everything matched up.

The Gran sighed, and picked up that datapad again. "It's a funny choice of executors," he said. "There's nary a lawyer among them. Just Jedi, Droids, and political staff. Several imperially-aligned lawyers could have been named."

"Solicitor Hoyshin? You _are_ aware that any extrapolation you make is to be made available for military Intel?"

"Yes, Commander, I am." Hoyshin had already been notified that the conversation would be recorded, but that his image would be fuzzed and his voice signature scrambled for the purposes of security. He tapped the datapad. "This Will seems to me to have been drawn up by an amateur. Since Vader could have called an Imperial lawyer if he wished, that's quite surprising."

"He seems to have been trying to keep a low profile ever since Endor. What makes you think it's amateurish?"

Hoyshin snorted. "Simple. If had summoned a lawyer and informed him that he wanted his Will to be ironclad enough to be enforced in the current times, this would have stated what laws he wanted it carried out under, and it would have stood up to that set of laws and many others.

"Of course, if had summoned _any_ lawyer, or even a clerk to help him draft this, then it would have been twenty times longer and full of redundant terms and pronouns. This just reads like a list of last requests."

"What does that mean, Mr. Hoyshin?"

Hoyshin lifted his hands, the Gran equivalent of a shrug. "Too early to tell yet."

"What does it mean in an immediate sense?"

"Well, whether or not the contents of his Will are executed depends on whatever law he's tried under. If he is to be tried under Imperial law, whether or not this can be carried out will depend on the opinion - and, if we're to be practical here - the interests - of the Judge. Imperial courts don't have a jury.

"If he's tried under Old Republic Law, then yes, our prisoner is legally entitled to have his Will executed. Of course, since he is to be tried for _war crimes_ , and crimes against sentience, the Will can be challenged. I expect people would like to get their hands on his money, of course - and it's not as though he's done a very good job of safeguarding it, I must say. And of course he's named civilians - or at least, non-lawyers as his executors. That was permissible under both the Empire and the Republic, but it is certainly ill-advised.

"And then of course, there is the matter of droids. They generally aren't recognised as sentient beings, under _either_ law. Even if the circumstances are good, it will be hard enough to let them choose their own masters, never mind act as executors of his Will."

"You know," said Korkie, "I don't think I would ever had expected something like this, ever. And I grew up in the Clone Wars. We used to get broadcasts of Jedi exploits every day in the news. My Aunt was friends with some of the best heroes of that war. I've seen some pretty strange and dangerous things . . . but none so much as this."

Hoyshin sighed. "I had just opened my practice when war came," he returned. "The Galaxy is changing now, in a way it hasn't before . . . in a way it did in the Clone Wars . . . but now, for the better."

"If we help it. However much the Galaxy may change without us, we ourselves must improve it. Ahsoka Tano taught me that. And so did my Aunt." he sighed. "We're on the cusp of _something_ , I think, Mr. Hoyshin. Something is about to change, something big. Something that we'll all have a hand in, just by being near Vader."

He turned to face the Gran. "Saying that, do you wish to leave this and go home? I can't force you into this, any more than I could ask the Moon to stop rising."

Hoyshin cast his mind back to his childhood on Malastare. He thought of his father, who had told him to always act with honour and courage. He thought of his mother, who had taught him to always do the best for people. He thought of his brother and of his younger sister. He thought of his nieces and nephews, and how they deserved a better galaxy than he had lived in all his life.

"I shall continue with my assigned task, Commander Kryze," he said. "My task as a Solicitor, and my task to offer service to this Galaxy. Now, there's an appendix here about his credit storage and another about the real estate properties . . .

* * *

Anakin had been aware of what Master Windu would have probably called a Shatterpoint coming up on the horizon, but, in the more immediate sense, there was something else coming up. It was rather small in scope and impact, all things considered, or it would be if all went according to procedure, but, should misfortune befall, there was a chance it should spiral into something bigger.

Then the door to his cell slid open, and he saw Ahsoka standing outside with two dozen soldiers, who had two dozen blasters trained on him. And not just ordinary blasters; these were energy-iron blasters, which fired bolts of pure electro-magnetic energy and charged molecular particles in addition to the usual plasma bolts. He could stop them, of course, but in the event that something actually landed on his armour, it would fritz his systems enough to incapacitate him for a good while, if not actually kill him. Well, seeing as he had asked Ahsoka not to divulge anything about his true identity, it would be illogical to be angry for her for turning up with a squad of crack shots, especially if he was about to be moved somewhere.

He was mildly surprised to find that he was not angry with her at all for anything. Lack of anger where he would once have choked men to death was something that had been happening with increasing frequency over the past few years.

"Listen," said Ahsoka, "We're moving you. In a minute, after I've put some cuffs on you, I'll tell you to step out of your cell. After that, you will follow the yellow fluorescent lines painted on the walls and the floor into the temporary holding room in the ship that's gonna carry you. Once you're safely in there, I'll loosen to cuffs a bit to make you more comfortable for the duration of the journey, and when we land, somebody will brief you on getting to your new holding space. I warn you, if you try to make a prison break, we have crack men and all the Jedi we could muster all over this building."

"Thank you," said Anakin sincerely, and held out his arms for the cuffs before he realised that he might have caused Ahsoka's latest batch of troopers to die from the shock of seeing Darth Vader thanking someone.

One cuff wrapped around his right arm above his elbow; the other went around his left wrist. There was a reinforced fibreglass-plasma cord barely three centimetres long binding him together, so he had to fold his left arm awkwardly over his body. It was a restricting position, if he did say so himself.

"OK, now take three steps out of your cell and no further."

Anakin complied. There was an antechamber to his cell, so he stepped into that, as the various troopers shuffled around so that they surrounded him.

"Now follow me."

They walked through the trooper-lined fluorescent-painted corridors of Tarkinville Base. Anakin could see Jedi on his way through - brown-haired Jarrus and his former Apprentice, who was exactly the same age as Luke - a former Inquisitor and a handful of youths, and Luke himself, as he stepped into the hangar, empty save for a refurbished Separatist ship and plenty of soldiers covering all points of entry and exit. This move had been planned well, at least on this side.

"My compliments to the organiser of this operation. It has been well planned."

"Don't jinx it," said Ahsoka sternly. "Beings like us have a funny habit of attracting misfortune when we say such things."

They walked into the ship and Anakin was shepherded into another holding cell. Ahsoka set to lengthening the fibreglass cord between the cuffs. It stretched out to about ten centimetres, which gave Anakin a lot more freedom of movement.

"I did not sense the Princess of Alderaan," he said. Ahsoka looked up.

"She's not here."

"I hope she is well."

"She's as well as is to be expected," said Ahsoka. "We decided that she wasn't ready for a task like this one."

Anakin would have liked to send his regards, but remorse was suddenly choking him and closing up his throat. After all he had put his daughter through, what was there to say to her? Short of bringing Alderaan back, what could he do to atone? She had lost far more than he had, at her age, and unlike him, she might never have a chance to gain it back.

Ahsoka stepped out of her master's cell and palmed the door shut. She felt the ship lift under her feet, and she headed toward the cockpit to inform Commander Kryze and General Ackbar that the thing the galaxy called Darth Vader was safely secure.

She thought of Leia on the way. Leia was her apprentice; hers and Luke's. And Ahsoka got the distinct sense that Leia would have to face her father soon. She had insisted - vehemently - on not coming this time, and neither Luke nor Ahsoka had had the heart to force her.

She would have to face her father soon, or she would never have closure; and _that_ was even more dangerous than the possible consequences of facing him.

Even if she did face him, Ahsoka's vision was unclouded enough to realise that the outcome of it would have implications for the whole galaxy. Yes, something was coming. Something that could decide the fate of the Alliance, the Galaxy, what was left of the Jedi.

The Galaxy was a much lighter place than it had been previously; a palpable sense of hope and peace was perpetually filling the air; but it was fragile, so fragile. Nothing like the Empire would ever rise again; Ahsoka was sure of it . . . but chaos and anarchy and warring could. She would have to speak to Luke about this. He didn't seem quite aware of it himself, but that boy had his mother's vision. His sister tended to focus on the here and now; the immediate problem; but she was very much capable of seeing the bigger picture, something their father had always had trouble with.

Until now, that is. Her master had been a fine Jedi in his time; and now he was an even better one. It was only a pity it had taken twenty years of darkness and genocide and slavery for him to get to this point.

She sighed. It would be useless to admit that she wasn't grieving, again, for her master's actions on the galaxy. She would have to set herself aside for Leia's sake, to guide her and to help her. But it was not good to grieve alone. Grieving with somebody else made it bearable. And she would do the same for him.

* * *

Thankfully, the entire Chamber had kept generally silent whilst the Testimony had played, even if it had taken three days to get through it all. Lando supposed they were all too stunned to do anything else.

"That's a longer list than I cared to hear," muttered Han, looking vaguely nauseated.

"Makes the likes of Azmorigan and Jabba look about as principled as your wife," Lando muttered back.

"Leia," said Han with a smuggler's pride, "Is quite willing to be as unprincipled as you when the situation calls for it. You didn't forget what happened to Jabba, did you, pal?"

Chewie told them to stop arguing like children.

"Oh, fine," muttered Lando, with a theatrically long-suffering sigh.

Chewie informed them both that they would be coming up to forty in a few short years, and that it was considered unseemly for men of their age to act like twenty-somethings both in civilised and uncivilised space.

"Ok, Chewie. I take it back. So does Lando -" (said Lando scowled) "-don't ya?"

"Yes," muttered Lando. They turned their attention back to the Chamber, which, for this session, was packed with Arbiters, Imperials, and Republicans. Bonteri had been chosen as the Speaker for this session; Koinyaro Hrital had been chosen as the Arbiter.

"Representatives," began Bonteri, "Today the matter of Vader's trial has been brought before us, and we have the responsibility of carrying this through. Now let the Representatives of the Imperial party speak.

The Representative in question was the Grand Moff Bolona. The most preeminent man in the Empire, he was a fierce warlord and a staunch supporter of the person of Vader, but reasonable enough to negotiate and to make temporary truces to the Rebels.

"Since His Majesty has abdicated in favour of Skywalker," he began, "The Empire will follow whatever procedure His Imperial Majesty the Emperor Skywalker deems fit."

Hrital turned to the Republicans. "Let the Representatives of the Republican party speak."

"We propose," said Mothma, "That Vader stand trial under the laws of the Old Republic.

"Let the Representatives of the Workingmen's Brotherhood speak." The Workingmen's Brotherhood had started as a sort of unofficial worker's union in the shipyards of Bestine in the days when the Empire had begun using the population as industrial slave labor. When it came to nasty showdowns party-politics style between the imperial and republican factions, they kept declaring themselves apolitical, but their actions belied a different course of action. From humble origins, the idea, intel and resources had grown softly but surely under imperial rule, as slaves and workers had come together to pool resources and intel to keep each other alive and in good condition.

After Endor, they had begun to come out of the woodwork, and had grown exponentially. It was a diverse, broad organisation, subscribed to, by now, by almost a third of civilised space's honest workforce, held together by the interests of ordinary working beings, and yet it had percolated galactic society in many social strata, including lawyers, senators and teachers; and one of its hallmarks was its stauch loyalty to the Jedi.

And as such, they were a generally a lot more sympathetic to the republican party than the imperial one, although there were several voices within it who claimed that the Old Republic had never done much for the likes of them.

At any one time there tended to be at least ten representatives of the Brotherhood in the Chamber, complete with their own personal arbiter to sort out intra-Brotherhood disputes.

"Us proposes," began Laeg Joiner in broken basic, "Ey that . . . that him a-going tried. No that us want see him pulled leg from arm . . ." He flushed at his poor attempts at speaking Basic and began muttering in Huttese to one of his compatriots.

"Laeg means that as much as we'd all like to see-a Vader ripped limb from limb," explained Andeis Mazoga, "He ought to be given a trial."

"Speaker, permission to clarify details?" called Hrital.

"Permission granted, Arbiter."

"What law do you propose he be tried under?" asked Hrital.

The Representatives of the Workingmen's Brotherhood looked at each other.

"I think that Andro Michna's our man," said one of them.

"We'll call Michna and Astron," said another. They're our legal experts; they'll know what to do."

A moment later, the holographic forms of a Toydarian and an Ithorian popped up. They evidently both understood Joiner's butchered Basic, because they told him that in their opinion, the Alderaani judicial system was generally regarded as one of the best, and failing that, the Coruscanti one - at least the one it had been allowed to have in the days of the Republic - was quite good, and the same went for the Ithorian one. It was decided that this was the law the Brotherhood would prefer Vader to be tried under.

"Let the Representatives of the Odjala Sector speak . . . "

When the it got too late to continue proceedings, Han and Leia returned home to crash in what had once been the Imperial Palace, which had been requisitioned for accommodation purposes. The Chamber of Representation was a converted building in the until-recently-derelict Works, so even with Han and Chewie driving the speeder, it had taken a good half-hour to get back.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" asked Han when they were seated on a sofa, with a spread of Alderaani spicy cuisine in front of them. Leia sighed and leaned her head against Han's shoulder.

"I'm tired, Han. And I'm dreadfully worried about the proceedings."

"Because they're going reeal slow, darling?"

"No. This is a very big matter, Han; lack of speed is only to be expected, especially since he's not actually out on the rampage. No, it's the size of this matter that worries me."

"Darling, I'm a poor General with no training in politics. Care to explain in simple terms? So I can understand."

"Well, this trial . . ." Leia sighed. "This trial - and the way things are going, it looks like it's going to be a proper trial, at least - is going to set the precedent for how we treat every other war criminal that comes after Vader. What law we try him under, how all the factions co-operate, and what Constitution we end up negotiating. Or, best case scenario, deciding on. The point is that the future of the Galaxy is at stake here, again. We've lived through cataclysmic galaxy-changing events, Han, and this is another one of them. The outcome could be anything."

Han sighed. "Ya know, you Skywalker lot have a funny knack of being attracted to galaxy-changing events. Or maybe you attract them. Seven hells, I hope _this_ kid don't get into much trouble as you and Luke." He grinned. "Just enough trouble to make life _exciting_." He put his hand over Leia's womb.

* * *

A/N: 'Seeing the Universe through red/green filters' is the far, far, away Galaxy's answer to 'seeing the world through jade/rose coloured glasses'.

Also, Vader styles himself as a 'freedman' on his Will. Historically, a 'Freeman' was a man who was born free, and a 'Freedman' was a man who had been a slave but who had (legally) gained his freedom. Since I see Vader as someone who was essentially Palpatine's slave, as well as a slave to all of Anakin's fears and issues, I decided that post-Vader Anakin would style himself as a freedman, since he had gained his freedom through finding the courage to let go and to admit his mistakes - thus freeing himself from the various constraints imposed on him since childhood.

Now: points for guessing who Laeg Joiner and compatriots are named after and what the Workingmen's Brotherhood is based on . . . I decided to ease those guys in to tip the balance in favour of democracy. Maybe one day, I'll tell their story.

Finally, a note on how the provisional government of the Alliance works: the Chamber of Representation is basically a place where everybody can turn up to air their grievances that they can't sort out themselves. After an issue is presented, MODERATORS decide its priority, and ARBITERS take the concerned parties aside (with a handful of witnesses) and work out a way to address said grievance. Day-to-day business and sentientarian/sapientarian/humanitarian causes is actually going well; but the different factions of the Alliance, without a leader (nobody can agree on how to proceed with ANYTHING) so stuff like, say, re-writing a Constitution and working out what everybody's responsibilities are in blanket terms (i.e. how much power ex-Imp Moffs have) isn't going anywhere.

Of course, Vader could have stopped this himself by allowing free elections, but he doesn't trust himself that much when it comes to politics and galaxy-running anymore, so he's turned the responsibility over to Luke by abdicating in his favour, because a) he trusts Luke, b) he feels Luke has better judgement than he ever did c) Luke takes after Padmé d) Luke is surrounded by good, levelheaded advisors, including one Alderaanian princess who happens to be his sister.


End file.
